So far this year three groups have approached me to join them in so-called “no brainer” sales opportunities. Both groups noted that the prospect was qualified and ready to go, and that they were the first choice to win the deal. The leader of each and every group promised me, in exactly these words, “This deal is ours to lose.”

Unfortunately, once I got involved and started doing due diligence it quickly became clear that these groups either had no idea about how to sell or were living in a fantasy world. Not one of the three deals closed and, based on my assessment, these so-called “no brainer” deals had barely reached the beginning stages of the selling process.

In all three cases these individuals – successful and high-powered though they were – really didn’t know how to sell. They were selling backwards! Let me explain what that means with a simple assessment. If any of these twelve statements apply to you, you are probably selling backwards, too:

1. You feel like you are spinning your wheels chasing prospects and working too hard to close deals.
2. Prospects tell you that they want to buy from you, and then never seem to sign on the dotted line and follow through.
3. You wonder if there is some magic script or formula you could use to close more deals.
4. You spend lots of time developing a beautiful proposal, and then the prospect says, “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”
5. You get to the end of the sales process only to find out the prospect doesn’t have enough money to afford you, isn’t really serious about taking action, or isn’t the key decision maker.
6. You feel like you have to put on an act or be inauthentic to close business.
7. You keep responding to ongoing requests from prospects for more information, and can’t understand why they won’t just make up their mind.
8. You are sick and tired of giving out tons of free advice and information, and can’t understand why so many prospects never pay you for your services or products.
9. You wonder why generating qualified leads feels like such an uphill battle.
10. You can’t stand it when a client seems ready to go and yet keep telling you, “Maybe. I need more time.”
11. You are more than happy to cut your prices so long as you win the business, but you worry that – aside from sacrificing your respect – you are training your prospects to treat you like a commodity.
12. If you suffer from even one of the above situations, then selling is not as productive, profitable or fun for you as it could be. The good news is that there is a better way.  I know, because I used to sell backwards, too. Then I learned how to get more clients/customers in much less time.

As a result:

- Clients/customers come to me, and I don’t have to chase them.

- I don’t do a shred of work to win new business unless I have explicitly confirmed with the prospect that four key things are in place.

- If a prospect lies or won’t give me a straight answer, I know exactly what to say to get them to make a decision and stop wasting my time.

- I never write a proposal or a contract until the business is already mine -- and prospects are 100% okay with this approach because of the way I frame the discussion. 

- I enjoy being on equal footing with prospects so that they don’t lie to me, waste my time while gaining free consulting, nickel and dime me, or take forever making a decision. 

- I am in control of the selling process, but the prospects feels like he or she is in control.

- I don’t have to negotiate on pricing, even in a tough economy.

- I can be natural and authentic when I sell, so I don’t feel like I am selling out my values.

- I spend my time growing my business instead of chasing after new business.

In short, I make lots more sales in lots less time, and I don’t ever feel like I am selling.

Want to learn how to stop selling backwards? Want to benefit from as much as a 100% increase in sales in half the time?

The Profit Growth Club’s next teleconference series will be on this very topic (and all calls are recorded so you never miss a thing if you can’t make the live call). Best of all, you don’t have to pay anything near the thousands of dollars that most sales training franchises charge. You pay one low monthly membership. Click here to join now.

Or, just wait until the next prospect drives you crazy and never buys. Then join our Club and learn how you could have handled the situation differently and saved yourself lots of time and aggravation!